Who would like a Moondog Masterclass?

[lougle]

Moondog has been chatting on this thread and has said that she'd be willing to hold a session if enough people wanted to come.

To make it worth her while (in preparing for the session, travel, etc.) she'd need 15 to sign up. She's not advertising, by the way, I've asked her if she'd do one if there were enough of us.

Sooo if there were around 15 people interested who could all get to within striking distance of Moondog/each other, it could be fantastic.

Any ideas for subject gladly welcomed - I know a few of you have been to Moondog stuff so we could avoid repetition.

I'd love to understand the basics on task break down/direct instruction, etc., but I'm probably quite a bit behind some of you ABAers, so I'm willing to go with the majority if it gets a session off the ground.

Get you, Moondog - what a globetrotter

Everyone else, if you haven't already done it, could you fill in the Poll for the dates you can do, please.

Also, there is a poll for location

NewBlueCoat if you PM me your location, I'll make that a broader 'location' to see whether your DD's school would be viable, too.

Have added name to poll (very impressed with whole 'create your own poll thing'!!)

Completed the poll too

Wow loving the poll!

I've completed it. I didn't say I could do Bath or Bristol but I could manage them. It's just as far as locations they are most difficult. Iyswim?

Was thinking that it would be interesting to trial the idea of partnering up subsequent to there-being each other's coaches/consultants. Perhaps working in pairs.

Keeping data can be hard work especially if you wonder who you are keeping it for, but it is at the heart of every evidence based intervention.

As behavioural practitioners, cosy chats and pats on the head don't pass muster (nothing wrong with them but in the absence of data they mean nothing) so we need to ensure people get in the practice of taking and analysing data. This is effectively what one pays a consultant £££ for but if we worked out a system where we did it for each other, it could be just as effective and free. It would be a mutually reinforcing scenario.

So we could have systems in place for Active Support, other forms of Task Analysis, Language for Thinking, Discrete Trial Training, Precision Teaching and so on.

It wouldn't even matter if your child isn't exactly like the person you are partnered with-the point is having a fresh unbiased critical eye to review your intervention with you.
I know when I show my data to colleagues, they invariably spot or suggest something I haven't seen as I am too close to the action.

Thoughts???

Sorry Lougle been away from the board till tonight - will complete the polls now.

It's too late to post constructively, Moondog, but in principle that sounds like a brilliant idea.

Would love to come if I can, but it's a long way to travel, and would have to leave dd overnight to come which is difficult as dh works shifts. But I've completed poll, and will let you know if I can come when a date and venue have been fixed. Thanks for running these sessions again Moondog.

Only just logged back on, ive completed the poll too. Well done Lougle, all very organised!

only just back online, will do the two polls later, (went to last yrs day in London and was it fab!)

don't want to throw spanner in the works, but could get us free venue (local church, but modern building so all the techie stuff, free parking on site) at Swindon if that makes any difference... (same place as we had the SW meet ups)

Lola, thanks for doing that. I hope you can make it.

claw2, brilliant.

signandsingcarols that is a fantastic venue. I've added it on to the list.

*If everyone could go back to the poll and edit their answer to include a yes/no for Swindon, I'd be grateful. If you can't do that, if you could post on here, or PM if you used a real name, I can adjust it.

Swindon fine with me.

Can I just check something, I know Moondog is one of our ABA experts on here, so just want to check if this workshop is for current ABA'ers improving their approach OR is it for everyone looking for new suggestions on how to move their dc forward.

I just saw a post from Moondog up thread about bringing data sheets along so we could support each other, so I thought I'd check as I pity the person who shows me their data sheet and then I look at it blankly

No, it's for everyone, frizzcat. I've never done any ABA.

We can talk about what we want it to focus on once we've got a date.

Swindon would be great for me, can't seem to add it on poll.

Frizzcat - I will join you in the no data sheet gang.

Frizzcat and Hazey, I've edited it to show a yes to Swindon for you both.

Cheers Lougle and phew

Frizz, that was in reference to everyone leaving (hopefully) knowing how to collect basic data and having a partner with whom they can share and confer at regular intervals to keep people motivated and on track-the hardest part of helping your child I think.

You don't have to know anything about ABA at all-most people I work with don't. My job is to present it in a comprehensible meaningful form. You might not care or need to know about stimulus equivalence, thinning schedules of reinforcement, the Premack principle, extinction procedures and so on but I do and I need people I work with to get how these things can make their jobs easier and more effective.

In essence, ABA is quite simply what should be happening everywhere.
Data collection
Use of science and not opinion
Use of reinforcement and not bullying or coercion or a believe that kids should do things 'because I say so'
Strong emphasis on ethical practice
Changing the behaviour of the adults before expecting the kid to change
Breaking tasks down into component parts

A free venue (or minimally priced one) would make a big difference.
As it is, I usually have to cough up about £500 for a venue.

moondog if enough people can do Swindon, it really is a fab venue. We had a MN meet-up there last year and it was lovely and hospitable, good parking, etc.

I remember Singandsign talking about it last year and reading threads about that meet up.
Sounds ace, and as someone who quite regularly works in lavatories and changing rooms as there is often nowhere else available, it sounds like heaven!

Need to remind you that I can't do May 10th though either as mentioned earlier in thread. I see it is quite a popular date.
Sorry about that.

Yes, that's fine. It's only because I'm not familiar enough with Doodle to scratch it out without breaking the poll!

I'll ignore that date.

Getting excited. Swindon fine for me, have completed poll

I can Swindon too. If anyone's on poll before I get there feel free to update it for me - it's my MN username!

Done, youarewinning

Just marking my place so I remember to do the Doodle thing! May is a tricky month for is so I need to sit down and look at it properly!